Garmin 196: Anyone else dissapointed in the actual ability to capture sats

CJ Campbell - You posted below on the Bonanza thread.

The external antenna on Garmins is an active design that takes extra DC
power across the coax to power an amplifier in the antenna. If running on
batteries, the battery life will be less with the external. They perform
better because of amplification in addition to having a better view of the
sky. I suppose the physical construction of the antenna is also better for
reception even without drawing power since it can be larger.

Ron Anderson


"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...
I have never seen the 196 take more than a few seconds to lock on. I think
there is something wrong with your stick antenna. I would send it back if it
is still under warranty. One thing you could try is to borrow somebody
else's antenna and see if it works any better.

The stick antenna and the remote antenna are basically the same and should
perform the same. The only reason for the remote is to give you increased
flexibility in antenna location.

My own handheld GPS is a 295, which I will keep until a '296' comes out.
Several people here at PAVCO use the 196, though, and they are thrilled with
it. A lot of the students and renters use it, too.